Government guidance states that people must remain "in their primary residence", adding that "not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk...Leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at another home is not allowed".

23 March

Strict lockdown rules are imposed which mean people can only leave their houses for essential travel.

In a TV address to the nation, Mr Johnson says people must stay at home to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Image:Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures in a TV address to the nation. Pic: Andrew Parsons

27 March

Mr Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are confirmed to have tested positive for coronavirus.

Mr Cummings is seen running along Downing Street shortly after the prime minister posts a video saying he has contracted the virus.

Image:Dominic Cummings seen running from 10 Downing Street on 27 March

He said that after he went home, his wife felt better and he had returned to work.

That evening, he said he "drove up to Durham" and arrived at "roughly midnight" with his family.

28 March

Mr Cummings says he woke up "in pain and clearly had COVID symptoms, including a bad headache and a serious fever".

30 March

Downing Street confirms Mr Cummings is self-isolating after developing symptoms of the virus.

Durham Police are "made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city".

The force says officers "made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house".

1 April

Durham Constabulary says that on this date, an officer spoke to Mr Cummings' father, who confirmed that the family were staying at the property.

In a statement, police said: "We can further confirm that our officer gave no specific advice on coronavirus to any members of the family and that Durham Constabulary deemed that no further action was required in that regard.

"Our officer did, however, provide the family with advice on security issues."

During the night, Mr Cummings' son is ill so the couple "took medical advice which was to call 999".

The child is taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Cummings says he was too ill to go but his wife stayed the night with their son.

3 April

Mr Cummings drives to the hospital to pick his wife and son up, but says he did not leave the car or have any contact with anyone during the trip to the hospital.

5 April

A neighbour tells the Daily Mirror and The Guardian they have spotted Mr Cummings in his parents' garden.

"I got the shock of my life as I looked over to the gates and saw him," they said.

Mr Cummings later says the nearest homes to his parents are around half a mile away, and there are no neighbours "in the normal sense of the word".

In full: Dominic Cummings' statement

10 April

England's deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries says being too ill to look after a small child was an "exceptional circumstance" to the lockdown rules and she pointed to accessing family support, among other options.

11 April

After seeking medical advice, Mr Cummings is told he is able to return to work and seek childcare.

12 April

Mr Cummings and his family were seen walking by the River Tees in Barnard Castle, 30 miles from Durham, before getting into a car around lunchtime, reports by the Sunday Mirror suggested on 23 May.

During Monday's news conference, Mr Cummings confirmed the trip took place, claiming it was to check if he was well enough to drive home.

He said: "My wife was very worried, particularly as my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease.

14 April

Mr Cummings is pictured in Downing Street after recovering from coronavirus symptoms.

Image:Dominic Cummings attends the government's daily briefing on 14 April

19 April

More than a fortnight after the first sighting of Mr Cummings in Durham, and five days after being photographed back at work in Downing Street, it is claimed he was seen in the North East again.

Reports suggest that on the second visit, passers-by saw Mr Cummings at Houghall Woods, near his parents' home.

Mr Cummings has denied this, saying: "Photos and data on my phone prove this to be false, I was in London on that day."

"I felt breathless, sometimes achy, but Dom couldn't get out of bed," she said.

Image:Dominic Cummings is seen at Downing Street at the end of April

"Day in, day out for 10 days he lay doggo with a high fever and spasms that made the muscles lump and twitch in his legs. He could breathe, but only in a limited, shallow way."

13 May

The government lifts the restriction on how far people can drive to reach the countryside and take exercise.

Visits and overnight stays to second homes remain prohibited.

22 May

The Daily Mirror and The Guardian break the news of Mr Cummings' trip to Durham.

23 May

Downing Street appears to be standing by Mr Cummings, saying in a statement: "Owing to his wife being infected with suspected coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for.

"At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported.

"His actions were in line with coronavirus guidelines. Mr Cummings believes he behaved reasonably and legally."

When a reporter suggests that his actions did not look good, he responds: "Who cares about good looks?

"It's a question of doing the right thing. It's not about what you guys think."

Dr Harries clarifies that travelling during lockdown was permissible if "there was an extreme risk to life", with a "safeguarding clause" attached to all advice to prevent vulnerable people being stuck at home with no support.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party and the SNP writes a letter to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill demanding an inquiry into what happened.

'People are rightly angry with Cummings' - shadow policing minister

In another evening statement, a Number 10 spokeswoman accuses the Mirror and The Guardian of writing "inaccurate" stories about Mr Cummings, including claims he had returned to Durham after going back to work in Downing Street on 14 April.

"We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Mr Cummings from campaigning newspapers," the spokeswoman said.

24 May

When asked by a journalist outside his home whether he had returned to Durham in April, Mr Cummings replies: "No, I did not."

A host of Conservative MPs call for him to resign or for Mr Johnson to sack him, including Sir Roger Gale, Simon Hoare and Caroline Noakes.

'Cummings has not abided by his own rules' - Conservative MP Steve Baker

Eyewitness Robin Lees, a 70-year-old retired chemistry teacher, tells Sky News he saw someone who "looked like" Dominic Cummings on a family walk 25 miles outside of Durham during lockdown and wrote down what he described as a "distinctive" number plate.

Later, Mr Cummings is seen entering Downing Street.

During a coronavirus briefing, the prime minister defends Mr Cummings, saying he "acted responsibly, legally and with integrity".

Mr Johnson says his top aide "followed the instincts of every father and every parent", adding, "I do not mark him down for that".